I rode my 2011 for a year without the handguards. Put some on last winter and really like them. I'm in the northeast - lots of rain and cooler riding temps. I don't find them too terribly hot on the warm days.

I put handguards on every bike I have owned, I live in Texas and ride year round, ever had a rock from a vehicle in front of you hit your windshield, every had a rock hit your hand, there's your answer.

I have a pair that I bought years ago and modified to fit my FZ6. They work very good for keeping the wind off your hands. I only used them in the winter.

Now that I have a 2012 GStrom, I put them on. I would not count on them to provide any level of protection ( although, I have read of some cases where in a tip over the OEM guards held up and protected the levers ). I will eventually be installing Acerbis or Barkbusters.

The OEM guards provide a lot of coverage for the top of your hand. However, the bottoms are very open and do allow rain to get to the bar and the palms of your hands. I have heard of others attaching the lip of a squeegee to help deflect rain / wind.

They are pretty good. If you feel the cold hits you the hardest in your knuckles you will feel a good relief. If you feel it mainly in your fingertips you will need and all of the above approach. Oh and they are not that fragile. I've dropped my bike going off-road and they dis get scratched up but didn't break

__________________
No longer a v-strom owner but a Stromtrooper at heart

I have ridden motorcycle without handguards from 1961 to today.
This experience includes twenty years riding year-round in Canada.

My 2006 Wee-Strom has OEM handguards, and I enjoy them for many reasons:
I can ride bare-handed in warm weather without fearing impacts from gravel.
My gloves are not particularly waterproof, so handguards reduce rain intrusion.
In cold weather, which I encounter more often than you might think,
handguards make a tremendous difference. I find them to be great value.

I mounted six yellow LEDs in each guard, and wired them in parallel with my turn signals, and the visual impact is significant. Momentary use of the four-way flasher makes my bike look a lot bigger than it really is. I connected to the rear signals, not the front, to avoid making removal of fairings more difficult and complex than it already is.

I have the OEM hand guards and heated grips. I find that there is not enough deflection to eliminate all rain and wind from hitting the back of the hand, and there is some convection of air in the handwell area, but it does a pretty good job of keeping the worst of the elements off your hands. Even with decent winter gloves, I need both the heat and the guard to keep my hands warm when the temperature drops below freezing and the trip is longer than 30 minutes.
In the Summer I must use ventilated gloves with the guards or my hands get sweaty. I'm planning on installing a louvered vents (like the heater vents on a car) into the guards when I find one that would fit well.

I have a 30 minute ride to work and I feel able to ride in the high 30 with no heated gear in the mornings. I have had several rocks bounce of them instead of my hands. I can't wait to add amber LEDs to mine now! Thanks for the great idea.

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